The time has come to start Meat Trades Journal’s annual search for the best butcher’s and farm shops in the UK. Entries to the Butcher's Shop of the Year competition are now officially open, with 12 categories to enter this year.

Unlike the volatility inherent in the stock market, commodity prices or indeed the price of meat itself, the market for butchers’ sundries is one that does not tend to fluctuate wildly over the course of the year. Although trends do come and go, there is no doubt that butchers need a steady supply of ancillary products to run their businesses, and that these incorporate everything from twine to sausage casings, hygiene products and knives to pre-packed and display trays.